A Shattered Past
by Racha900
Summary: When Tony is captured by an unknown villain, what will his team do? What happens when they're thrown into his head and forced to watch his past unfold before them? Maybe there was a reason Tony never told anyone about his childhood. [Rated K for Language]
1. Chapter 1

The alarm sounded, ringing through the tower. The constant sound rang through Steve's ears, making his head pound. It was 2am, so everyone was shocked to be woken up by the sudden sound. Steve shot up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

"Jarvis? Jarvis what happened?" he asked, pulling on some clothes. The alarm got quiet for a moment as the AI spoke.

"Sir Has disappeared from his workshop Captain." Jarvis replied. Steve's eyes went wide as he ran out the door, sprinting down the stair and into the common room, down more stairs, and finally into Tony's workshop. He gasped at the sight.

Around him, papers littered the floor, along with some tools. A light flickered and some black spots on the floor smoked. Steve looked around for the billionaire, hoping and praying the AI was wrong. Of course he wasn't.

The soldier looked around some more, lifting papers off of desks until he found something odd. He picked up a small device and moved it over, revealing a disc in a clear case. Steve picked up the disc and turned to go find his team mates, only to see them standing at the door in their PJ's.

"What happened in here?" Bruce asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Did Stark blow something up?" Clint asked.

Steve motioned for them to go upstairs and he followed them. As they made their way into the living room, Steve showed them the disc.

"I found this in the workshop. And Jarvis said that Tony's not in the tower." he said, everyone immediately waking up. Steve nodded and ave them a moment to process that as he slipped the Disc in the player. He pressed play and stepped back, watching as static filled the TV.

"Weird." Clint said, watching the screen.

"If I may interupt sir." Jarvis said, as the signal was adjusted, a high-pitched noise filling the room.

"What the-" Natasha was cut off by the video becoming clear, as the team snapped to attention to watch. On the screen, a man wearing black sunglasses and a bandana that covered his nose and mouth appeared. He chuckled, removing his glasses to show blazing red eyes.

"Hello..._heroes_." the man said with disgust. "You may be wondering where your precious billionaire had gone off to hmm?" he asked, his voice disguised with a deep vocalizer.

"What did you do to him!?" Steve yelled.

"Oh Nothing, _yet_. You see, my boss has plans for him." The man replied with a smirk.

"What." Natasha ordered.

"Oh, Expose his secrets, making him relive through the trauma he's faced, get revenge." The man replied sickeningly happy.

"And how are you going to do that?" Clint asked, his voice cold.

"Easy. Archer. My agents and I have already hacked into that AI you call Jarvis. Too bad we couldn't stop him from alerting you." he said, as the lights went out in the pent house, leaving only the TV to cast light into the room.

"Much better. Now. Down to business." the man said slowly, venom dripping from his words. The team heard a hissing sound as gas filled the air. "Have fun Avengers..." The voice faded as the heroes lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Tony was thrown into a dark room, his hands chained and his mouth gagged. He looked around and could barely make out the dimensions of the room.<p>

In the corner was a wooden chair, the wood old and splintered. On the steel door was a slot, more than likely for food. It was cold and damp in the room, and Tony could smell the faintest hints of mildew. Other than him and the chair, the room was empty.

Tony sat on the ground, pulling his knees up to his chest and tried to stay calm. He took a deep breath and released. He felt a trickle of blood run down from his forehead where a guard hit him, and the large gash was beginning to ache.

Suddenly, there was a high pitched noise as a voice came in through the speakers. "Hello Anthony." the voice said. Tony glared at the wall, not knowing where the voice was coming from.

"What do you want." he spat.

"You'll see soon enough." the voice replied, as Tony felt a sharp pain in his neck, looking back to see a device being hooked up to the back on his neck by a large guard. He smirked as the needle made the billionaire flinch, and his body soon went numb.

Tony tried to fight the urge to fall asleep, but the force pulling on him was too strong. He fell to the floor as everything went black.

* * *

><p>Steve and the heroes woke up in a solid white room, with no doors or windows. They slowly stood up and looked around, finding their weapons missing.<p>

"Where the hell are we?" Clint asked, rubbing his head as he stood. The archer helped Natasha up and they looked around.

Steve shrugged and helped Bruce stand up, flinching as a voice rang through the room.

"I see your awake Avengers." it was the man from before. "The man you know as Tony Stark, the man with an ego the size of Manhattan, the one who is always cracking jokes. The man who is never serious. Well your about to find out why the billionaire doesn't like company." the voice said as a screen appeared on the wall.

"Watch." he commanded as the image appeared on the screen.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony was about 3 days old, lying in a crib in the hospital room. <strong>

**Howard Stark stood outside, talking on his phone. "Yes, yes I know. Listen, it's only for a week. My kid was born so I had to be here. I promise i'll be back on Thursday. Yes I know its time sensitive. YES I KNOW! GOD DAMNIT I WANT TO FIND STEVE AS BADLY AS YOU SO STOP!" he yelled, taking a deep breath and slicking back his hair.**

**"Ok Peggy. I know, We'll find him." he said, saying good-bye and hanging up. Howard looked to the room his son was in and sighed.**

**"You. Your the reason i'm here. I should be out looking for my friend, but no, I'm stuck here, watching you." he said, staring at the small boy. He shook his head and walked down the hall, his hands in his pockets.**

**Tony began to wail, and Howard stopped for a moment, looking back to the room. He shook his head and started walking again, turning around the corner.**

* * *

><p>The Avengers weren't sure of what they had just saw, but they were shocked none the less.<p>

"That was Howard." Steve said, looking at the screen. "He seemed- different." he said, a confused look on his face.

"Hey guy!" Clint called out.

"What archer."

"What the hell did we just watch?!" he asked, sitting on one of the two white benches in the room.

"That was one of Tony Stark's memories. You see, we have something, a device, that is connected to the part of his brain where memories are stored. Let's just say your going to see a lot more than that." the voice said with an evil chuckle.

Steve sat down on a bench and Bruce sat beside him, patting his shoulder. "I swear if you did anything to hurt him i'll-" Steve was cut off by the voice.

"What are you going to do?" Your in his mind dumb-ass." the voice said.

The Avengers stayed silent. "W-what?" Natasha asked.

"You heard me Romanoff."

Natasha growled at the voice but took her seat. "Whatever." she said.

The screen flickered before another video showed up. "I guess we'll have to watch and see. Bide your time Nat." Steve said, watching the screen.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony was about a year old, and was sitting in his mother's lap, chewing on a teething ring. Baby Tony babbled and gurgled, drooling over the toy. <strong>**"He's such a handsome boy Howard." Maria said as she looked over to Howard, who was standing at his desk, flicking his head between maps. **

**"Uh-huh. That's nice Maria. I'm trying to work." he said, waving her away. Maria rolled her eyes and looked to Tony, who blinked and gurgled. She smiled and stroked his chestnut brown hair, his gentle curls wrapping around her fingers.**

**"My beautiful little boy." she said, rocking him back and forth as she sang him a song softly. **

**"Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes. **

**A****nd save these questions for another day. **

**I think I know what you've been asking me, I think you know what i've been trying to say. **

**I promised I would never leave you, and you should always know, **

**Where ever you go, no matter where you are,**

**I'll never be far away."**

**As Maria finished the song Tony was sleeping soundly, his fingers curled around her pinkie. "Goodnight my sweet." she said as she began walking upstairs, stopping to look at her husband. **

**"Oh Howard..." she said as she continued up, putting Tony to bed as she walked back downstairs. **

* * *

><p>"Maria..." Steve said as the video faded to black, his mouth hanging open slightly.<p>

"Her voice is beautiful." Thor said, sitting down on the floor.

The team nodded in agreement.

"Guys, I think we're gonna be here for a while." Clint said, leaning against the wall.

"Yea." Steve said with a sigh, trying to comprehend what he had seen. Howard had been looking for him, and looked like he was getting a little obsessed.

The soldier was brought back to reality when Bruce snapped his fingers in front of his face, making him shake his head. "What? Oh sorry." he said, his cheeks turning crimson.

"Guys, another one's starting." Natasha said as they turned their attention to the screen.

Yep. They'd be there for a while.


	2. Chapter 2

The team sat in the white room, watching as the next image appeared on the screen.

"I hope this is over soon." Steve said, running his hands through his hair.

"Me too." Bruce said, patting the soldier on the back.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony was about 1 and a half, and was crawling around on the floor of Howard's shop in a Captain America onesie as the man stared at maps and charts, dark bags under his eyes. Baby Tony babbled and crawled over to a wrench, sitting on the concrete and picking up the tool. He giggled and banged the wrench on the floor.<strong>

**Howard looked to his son and scowled. "No Anthony. Stop that. I'm trying to work." he said, taking the wrench away from the boy. The baby stared at the man with big brown eyes, tears forming in the corners. **

**"What?" Howard asked, setting the wrench on a table. He walked over to the baby, squatting next to him. "Why are you crying? Starks don't cry. You hear me? STARKS DON"T CRY!" he yelled, making the baby wail.**

**"Great. MARIA! COME GET HIM!" Howard yelled, walking back to his desk. Maria soon came in with a worried expression on her face, her hair pinned back much like Pepper's only some hair strands were hanging loose. She had dark begs under her eyes as she walked into the workshop.**

**"What is it Howard." she said, her voice frustrated.**

**"The boy. He's crying. Take him." he said, pointing to the wailing baby. Maria's expression changed to sad, walking over to the boy and picking him up. She cooed to him, rocking him back and forth as his cries slowly quieted. **

**"Honestly Howard, it's like you don't even care." she spat, staring at her baby.**

**Howard shot her a glare, looking to the boy. "Well I don't. The only reason he stays is because I want Stark industries to carry on." he said, looking back to his maps.**

**Maria rolled her eyes and walked out of the shop, her breathing uneven and heavy. She carried Tony up the stairs and into the living room. She set him down on the carpet and he crawled around, stopping at a Captain America plushie on the floor. He sat down and picked up the doll, shoving an arm in his mouth.**

**Maria chuckled softly. "You like Steve honey?" she asked with a soft smile. Tony looked to her and giggled with the arm in his mouth.**

**"I know. He was a good man." she said, leaning her head on her arm as she sat in the chair.**

**Tony spat out the doll and crawled over to Maria, sitting at her feet. "What is it baby?" she asked. ****Tony smiled, his mouth toothless except for a single tooth poking through his front gums.**

**Maria laughed at the boy.**

* * *

><p>The video ended and the team wasn't sure what to think.<p>

"Howard seems...frustrated. And really? Yelling at a baby?" Natasha said, staring at the screen as it faded to black.

"Oh but that Captain America onsie!" Clint joked, getting a punch to the arm from Natasha.

"What do you think Steve?" Bruce asked, looking to the soldier, who was staring at the screen, his mouth slightly open. "Steve?" Bruce asked, waving his hand in front of his face.

"What? Huh?" the soldier said, shaking his head.

"Steve. What did you think of the video?" the scientist asked.

"Oh. Well, I- uh...I thought Howard, well the Howard I knew was kinder than that. Maria was always a sweetheart, but the Howard i knew would never yell at a child, none the less his own." Steve said, leaning against the wall behind him.

"Yea. He seems a little obsessed with finding you." Clint said, rubbing his hands together.

"Young Anthony seemed to have taken a shine to you Captain." Thor said with a smile.

Steve nodded. "Yea." he said with a sigh.

Suddenly, a voice rang through the room.

"Hello. Heroes." the voice said. The team was immediately on guard, looking around them. "Having fun yet?" it asked, sickeningly happy.

"What do you want?!" Clint yelled, looking around.

"What? Me? Oh, nothing much. Just Revenge." it said.

The Avengers watched around them, glaring. Steve stood on guard as his eyes darted around him, searching for any sign of the voice's origin. The voice cackled.

"Oh Avengers, our little game has only begun. Soon you'll see how much of a monster Mr. Stark truly is." he said, as another memory appeared on the screen.

* * *

><p><strong>This time, Tony was about 2 years old and sitting on the floor in a Captain America shirt and playing with some race cars. <strong>

**Suddenly, there was a crash along with loud cursing. Tony flinched and looked behind him to the workshop. Maria's voice could be heard along with Howard's, and they were arguing. **

**Tony shivered and stood up, wobbled for a moment, but grabbed his cars and wobble-walked to the corner. In the corner was a large pillow with a small Captain America blanket on it, along with some toys. **

**Baby Tony sat down on the pillow and grabbed the blanket and wrapped it around himself, covering his head and body. He flinched when he heard the voices boom again, pulling the blanket tighter around him.**

**Underneath the blanket, Tony sat shivering from fear. He knew that when daddy was mad, he got hurt. He rubbed his arm, a large bruise on it, and listened as the screaming got louder. Little Tony held his blanket close around him, listening to his parents argue.**

**"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN MARIA!" Howard yelled.**

**"YOU NEED TO BE A FATHER AND QUIT CHASING DREAMS HOWARD!" Maria yelled back.**

**There was a loud slap, and some silence before Maria spoke again. The parents had made their way into the hall next to the living room, so Tony heard everything.**

**"You need to be a father. He needs a father figure in his life Howard. And You will have to do it on your own if you keep treating me this way." she said, glaring at the man. **

**Tony poked his head out of the blanket and stared as his parents argued. Howard glared at Maria, gritting his teeth. He looked to the living room and saw Tony's head, which quickly disappeared. **

**"HEY! YOU LITTLE BRAT! YOU WANNA EAVES DROP HUH?" he boomed. Tony whimpered and shook his head under the blanket, not really sure what his dad was saying.**

**"Don't yell at him! Howard, he's two. And your drunk. Go back down to the lab. Go look for Steve, do something. Don't take it out on him." Maria said as she got in between them, her chest puffing out in bravery. **

**Howard glared at her, before grumbling something about having work to do before heading back to his workshop. Maria sighed and walked over to her son, dropping to her knees. **

**Tony poked his head out of the blanket again, looking at his mom with tears in her eyes. Her cheek was red and a small bruise was forming on her forehead. He crawled out and climbed into her lap, snuggling close to her. "M-m-Momma." he said with a little struggle, hugging her waist. **

**Maria gasped and held him out in front of her. "Tony! Baby you said you first words!" she said happily, wiping away her tears. Tony giggled and snuggled close when she brought him close to her body.**

**"I'm sorry honey. I promise you someday we'll get away." she said softly, stroking his hair as he fell asleep.**

* * *

><p>The image faded and the team sat in silence, trying to process what they'd seen.<p>

Steve sighed, his composure beginning to waver. "I can't believe that. How- How can he be like that?" he asked, dropping his head into his hands.

"That's exactly how he was described in the Shield file. After you went missing, it says that he became an alcoholic, he was rude, and never went to any social gatherings." Natasha said, folding her arms.

Clint sighed. "Anyone else kinda feel bad for watching this? I mean, it kinda feels like we're invading Stark's privacy." he said, rubbing the wood on the bench.

"A little." Bruce said, rubbing his hand against his knuckles.

"What did Maria mean when she said they'd 'get away'?" Natasha asked.

"I guess we'll find out." Steve said, pointing to the screen as a new memory came up.


	3. Chapter 3

The Avengers sat in silence as the next memory appeared on the screen. Steve was beginning to get nervous, and felt a little guilty.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony sat on the floor of his dad's workshop. He was still about 4 years old, judging by his size. He had a small bruise on his arm, along with a cut on his cheek. The boy sat on the floor, messing with wires and circuits attached to the metal.<strong>

**He used a screwdriver to turn the bolts, making them tight and wiped the sweat off his forehead, something he had seen his dad do many times. Tony smiled at the device, setting down his tools.**

**The boy stood up and picked up his creation, taking it over to his father, who was lying on the couch with a drink in his hand. **

**"Daddy? Look! I made dis." he said, his cheeks rosy from his hard work. Tony held up the circuit board for his father to see and smiled, only to have Howard snatch it away from him and scowl. **

**"So you built a circuit board. So what? When you can make something that helps find Steve, then you can get my approval." he bellowed, tossing the device to the floor, it breaking in two. **

**Tony watched his dad, tears brimming in his eyes, but quickly wiped them away. He had learned that if he cried, daddy would slap him. "Stark's don't cry." he would say.**

**Tony swallowed the lump in his throat and nodded, turning away from the man. He walked over to where he had been working and glared at the tools, as if it were their fault. He then walked to the door of the workshop, opening it and trudging upstairs.**

**Once he made it up, he ran to his room, which was at the end of the hall, and plopped onto his bed. His covers were Captain America, as were his sheets and PJ's. He sat on the bed, pulling his legs up under him and looked around, glaring at the posters on his wall. **

**"This is all your fault!" he yelled at a poster, running over to it and pounding on it with his little fists. "Your'e all daddy cares about!" he said, tears forming again. This time he let them fall as he slowly walked back to his bed, slumping under the covers.**

**Tony lay his head down on his pillow, burying his face in the soft fabric. His muffled cries were barely heard as he cried himself to sleep.**

* * *

><p>The heroes sat and watched as little Tony had tried so hard to please his dad, only to be shunned. Tears brimmed in Steve's eyes as Tony talked to his poster, and they fell as he watched the boy cry himself to sleep.<p>

"I had no idea." he said after a moment.

Natasha got up and walked over to him. "It's ok Steve. There's nothing you could have done." she said, patting him on the shoulder.

The soldier stared at the damp spots on the floor, thinking. It was his fault, his fault that Howard treated Tony that way. Its safe to say he felt bad about it.

"Aye, It is alright Captain. You were in a frozen slumber. It is not your fault." Thor said, giving Steve a weak smile.

"You know, we all knew Tony was a genius," Clint started, trying to lighten the mood. "But I had no idea he could build a circuit board at age 5." he said with a smile, shaking his head.

"Yea I was pretty amazed by that too." Bruce said, a small smile on his lips.

The voice rang through the room, interrupting the heroes' chat.

Clint chuckled. "I thought your purpose was to show us what a 'monster' Tony was. This just shows that Howard was a dick." he said, his attitude apparent.

"Well Avengers. My boss thought you should have some background as to why Mr. Stark was a monster. It runs in his family. And, not only that, we're trying to expose all his secrets. All the things in his past he wouldn't talk about. The secrets of his childhood. His past that no one knows of. We plan to uncover it all." he said.

"Your an ass." Bruce said, glaring at the wall.

"Tsk tsk Dr. Banner. Control your temper. You wouldn't want to hulk out in here would you? It would destroy your friend's mind after all." the voice taunted, making Bruce growl.

"Doctor. Calm down." Steve said, pulling the man back down into his seat.

"I'm calm. I just don't like this man using Tony for his personal gain." the scientist said, taking a seat.

"Oh, Mr. Stark is used to it I assure you." the voice replied as a new memory appeared.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony was about 5, and was eating some cereal at the dining table. He looked at a magazine, which had "Engineer's Best" as the title. He looked bored out of his mind as he flipped through the pages, muttering things like, "built that." "I could make a better one." until he came to a page with his last name on it. <strong>

**He glared at the page, at his last name, and sighed. He closed thee magazine and finished his cereal, taking it to the sink and setting it inside. Tony grabbed the magazine and carried it down to the workshop, where his dad was working on some machine.**

**"hi dad." Tony said as he passed the man, setting the magazine on the table.**

**Howard grumbled and continued to work on the machine. Tony walked over to a small wooden desk in the corner of the shop and sat down in a chair, grabbing a pencil from the soup can. He pulled out a blank piece of paper and wrote a small note in the corner of the page.**

**'Super Hero' it said. Tony smiled to himself at the word, and began to draw. He sketched lines and shapes, and the form slowly became clearer. It looked like a mixture of a robot and the tin man from the Wizard of Oz.**

**Tony then began to make notes around it, writing things like 'steel' and 'rivets' before scribbling some of them out. Tony sat and worked on his drawing for a while before he set the pencil back in the can, stood up, and grabbed the picture.**

**He walked over to his dad and stood there, knowing better than to interrupt him when he was working. "D-dad?" he asked when Howard came out form under the machine.**

**"I'm working." Howard said, his voice cold and unfeeling.**

**"But I made this for you. It's- it's a super hero suit. See? It's got rocket launchers and guns that would be hidden inside and there are rocket boots on the feet so it can fly, and-" Tony was cut off with a slap to the face, making him whimper in pain.**

**"Did I say you could speak?!" Howard growled, making the boy cower in fear.**

**Tony shook his head and trembled, tears threatening to show their presence in his eyes. Howard glared at the boy and snatched away the picture, looking it over. **

**"This is shit. Quit trying to be a hero and go clean the floor. Your no hero, so don't act like one." Howard snapped, ripping the paper to shreds. "Clean that up." he said, turning back to his machine.**

**Tony looked to his picture, his lip quivering. The boy blinked away the tears and walked over to the wall and grabbed the broom, sweeping the floor.**

_**"He's right."**_** Tony thought.**

* * *

><p>Young Tony's voice rang through the room, making the heroes flinch.<p>

"What was that?" Natasha asked.

"Must be his thoughts." Bruce answered. "Watch. Something's happening."

* * *

><p><strong>Tony pushed the broom along, sweeping up trash. He accidentally bumped into a table, making Howard's coffee cup crash to the floor. Tony gasped as Howard's head whipped around so fast, he could have gotten whiplash.<strong>

**Howard glared at the cup and the boy, his eyes seething with rage. "ARE YOU STUPID?!" he yelled.**

**Tony blinked and backed away slowly, shaking his head.**

**Howard walked after him, breathing heavily. "You've done it now boy. And Your mother is away, so she won't save you this time." he said, his voice low and menacing.**

**"Please dad I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I'm so sorry!" Tony pleaded, backing into the wall. **

**"Too late for apologies." Howard said, slapping across the face. The boy whimpered in pain, slinking down to the floor. "Now get out. I can't stand the sight of you anymore." he said.**

**Tony ran up the stairs and through the living room, up to the second floor and into his room, shutting the door behind him. The boy's breathing was heavy and uneven, and his breathing hitched every once in a while.**

**Tony walked over to his window, and grabbed a phone from under his dresser in the corner. His dad had a bunch of these, so he hadn't noticed when the boy had taken one. He dialed the number he knew by heart and waited for the line to open.**

**"Hello?" a female voice came in through the phone.**

**"Aunt Peggy?" Tony asked, his breathing hitching. He was trembling from fright and sat in the corner, phone up to his ear and legs up to his chest.**

**"What is it Tony?" she asked, her voice alarmed.**

**"C-Could you come over please? And don't tell dad cause he's- he's angry right now." he said, clutching the phone like it was his life line. **

**"Yes hon. I'll be right over." she said, and Tony breathed a sigh of relief. **

**"Thank you so much aunt Peggy." he said with a small smile. **

**"Your welcome. I'll be there in a few moments." she said as Tony hung up.**

**Tony sat in his room in the dark for a while, talking to himself about various things. He looked around and thought about what he could do to make his father happy with him, but was interrupted by a knocking at his window.**

**The boy looked to the glass and lifted it up, letting in the female soldier. Tony had a large smile on his face, which honestly hurt a little to do because of the slap.**

**Peggy climbed in the window and smiled at the boy, kneeling down and pulling him into a hug. "Are you alright? Here let me see." she said, checking his arms and face. **

**She had a sad look on her face as she looked at his back, where deep red gashes, from side to side were. She put his shirt down and pulled him into another hug, which he gladly returned.**

**"I'm so sorry he does that to you darling." she said softly, running her hand through his curly chocolate hair. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she wanted to let them fall, but she had to be strong for her little soldier.**

**"It's only when I make him angry." Tony said.**

**"Well it shouldn't happen at all." Peggy replied, sitting on the floor with the boy.**

**"I'm sorry." Tony said, moving the bangs out of his eyes.**

**Peggy smiled at him and sighed, pulling him into another hug. "It's not your fault. If your mother were here she'd stop him. If I could, i'd whisk you away from here, and you could live with me." she said, looking at his wall at a poster.**

**"But, your father would win any legal issues. He has the best lawyers in the business after all." she sighed, letting Tony go.**

**"It's alright. Hey, you wanna see what i'm working on?" he asked, standing up.**

**Peggy nodded and Tony smiled, his cheeks rosy. He run clumsily over to his closet, pulling out a big box. Tony then pushed the box over to Peggy, with much struggle, and opened it up. ****Inside, there was part of a motor, along with many parts. **

**"I've gathered a bunch of stuff from the workshop and i'm working on making my own motor." Tony beamed, staring at the engine with pride. Peggy smiled at the boy, shaking her head. **

**"Your an amazing boy Tony. You know that? No matter what your father says, no matter what anyone says, just know that i'll always think you are amazing." she said, smiling at him.**

**"Thanks aunt Peggy." Tony replied, hugging her.**

* * *

><p>Steve sat and watched as the image faded, attempting to blink back tears, only to have them fall to the floor. He looked over to his team mates, all of them, aside from Natasha and Thor, were teary-eyed.<p>

The soldier took a deep breath and stood, walking over to the wall and leaning on it, hiding his face in his hands. "This is all my fault." he said to himself, making Natasha and Bruce practically run to his side.

"No, Steve don't blame yourself. Howard's a dick." Natasha said, leaning on his shoulder.

"Nat, if i'd have been there, I could have stopped him from hurting Tony. Hell, he wouldn't be this way if i hadn't been stuck in the stupid ice. Tony could have had a normal childhood." he said, rubbing his eyes, which were now red and puffy.

"Then we would have our favorite genius." Bruce said with a small smile.

"Really?" Steve asked, looking at the scientist.

Bruce nodded, opening his mouth to speak when an image appeared on the screen. "To be continued." he said, leading the trio back to the sofa.


	4. Chapter 4

Steve and Bruce followed Natasha back to the couch, taking their seats. Steve sighed and stared at the screen, wanting to punch it with all his might. He felt a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to reality.

"Steve. I'm serious. Don't blame yourself ok?" Bruce said with a small smile.

Steve nodded and looked to the screen, a memory appearing.

* * *

><p><strong>There was a fire crackling in the fireplace, and a pot of poinsettias sat on the glass coffee table. The windows were dark and fogged from the snow. A soft humming was heard through the living room, and the scent of cinnamon filled the air.<strong>

**A 6 year old Tony stood staring our the window, watching the delicate snowflakes fall. He smiled as the window fogged up from his breath, and he wiped it away to look at the neighbor's lights.**

**Peggy walked in from the kitchen, humming softly. She smiled and watched the boy, carrying a cup of coco to the boy. "Having fun?" she asked, setting it on the window sill. ****Tony nodded and thanked her for the drink, sipping it. **

**"I'm so happy Dad let you come stay with us for the holidays." Tony said, smiling at the woman who was so dear to him. "I love that you decorate too. Dad never decorates for Christmas." he said.**

**"Me too." Peggy replied, ruffling the boy's hair. "Why don't we go see what's under the tree?" she asked, taking his hand.**

**The pair walked over to a Christmas tree, lit up with light blue lights. Ornaments hung from some limbs, and underneath it was a couple of presents. Tony smiled and grabbed one, handing it to Peggy. **

**"This one is for you. I made it." he said, smiling. **

**"Well, I can't open it right now. We have to wait for tomorrow remember?" she said, her voice soft and caring.**

**Tony frowned and sighed, nodding. He then smiled and told her to wait there, running up the stairs. He ran into his room, nearly tripping on the way, and reached under his bed. He grabbed a cardboard box and pulled it out, rubbing his hand against it. **

**He sighed. "I hope she likes it." he said to himself, carrying the box carefully, as if it were full of glass. Tony started making his way down the stairs when he heard talking. **

**"You don't need to fill his head with dumb fantasies. He has a job to do. Your going to dumb his brain with that crap." Howard snapped, glaring at Peggy. **

**"Howard. He's six years old. He needs this in his life, otherwise he's going to be a messed up adult." she said, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's not a machine. He's a human being. He's your son." **

**"I couldn't care less if he was the king of England." Howard spat, turning his back to the woman.**

**Tony listened at the top of the stairs, clutching the box in his arms. He wanted to walk down the stairs, but he was too afraid. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he shook them off, not wanting to cry.**

**"Howard, have you not even noticed the letters Maria has sent you? She left because she couldn't handle your abuse. If you don't change, i'm going to fight to take custody of Tony." Peggy said, her voice sharp and cold.**

**"You can't." Howard said, whipping around to face her. "I need him to take the company. No way in hell is some one else getting it." he said, anger rising up in his voice.**

**"I can and I will if you don't take care of him." she snapped. **

**Howard grumbled something and walked towards the stairs to his lab. He slammed the door behind him and eventually Peggy relaxed.**

**Tony blinked and slowly made his way down the stairs, still clutching the box. He stumbled onto the last step, looking up at his aunt. He averted his gaze and stood up, handing her the box.**

**"What's this?" she asked, kneeling down.**

**"It-It's a present. Whenever dad throws things away when he's drunk, I go get it from the trash. Please open it." he said, looking up at her.**

**Peggy smiled and ran her fingers over the small cardboard box.**

**"Ok." she said, lifting the lid.**

**Peggy gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, tears filling her eyes. Tony's eyes went wide and flinched, immediately apologizing. "I'm sorry Aunt Peggy! I didn't mean to make you cry! I'm so sorry. I just thought-" **

**Tony was cut off by the woman pulling him into a hug. She dropped the box and it fell to the floor, pictures and notes spilling out of it. **

**Old, tattered picture of Steve and Howard, along with Peggy and the General fell to the floor, scattering about. A medal fell out, clinking as it hit the wood.**

**"Oh Tony..." Peggy said, releasing the boy. "You saved this form the trash?" she asked, running her fingers through his hair.**

**"Yea...I- I just thought you might like to have them since dad doesn't want them anymore." he said, playing with his fingers.**

**"I love them." she said, smiling.**

**The pair then turned to the mess, picking up the old photos and stuff. They put them back into the box, and Peggy held it tightly. She smiled and cupped the boys face with her hand, making him blush.**

**"Go on up to bed. Santa won't come unless your asleep." she said, The boy gasped and running up the stairs rambling about a Santa tracker. Tony scrambled to get into his pajamas, turned off his light, and jumped onto his bed, covering himself with the blanket. **

**Peggy walked in, and sat on the edge. "Merry Christmas Tony. See you in the morning." she said, kissing his forehead. **

**"Goodnight Aunt Peggy." Tony said, falling asleep.**

* * *

><p>The image faded, leaving the heroes to think.<p>

"Why doesn't tony like decorating for Christmas anymore? He seems to have loved it when he was little." Steve said, remembering last Christmas when they didn't even have a tree, or decorations, and Tony had locked himself in the workshop.

"Man if Howard was still alive, i'd give him a piece of my mind." Clint said, his fists clenched tightly.

"Calm down Clint. He's long gone." Natasha said, putting her hand on the archer's shoulder. She gave him a small smile and he visually relaxed.

"So heroes. You've seen some of Mr. Stark's past. Are you ready to see his inner demons?" the voice rang through the room, everyone on guard. The Avengers tensed, hearing the disembodied voice, and looked around, knowing they couldn't see him.

"What inner demons?" Clint asked, a confused look on his face.

"You'll see...archer." the voice said, and as if on cue, which it probably was, a new memory appeared.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony was about 7 years old and was working on something in the workshop. Howard peered over his shoulder, his gaze cold and unfeeling. "Work faster boy." Howard snapped, causing Tony to flinch and burn his finger with the welder. <strong>

**The boy bent over in pain, holding his finger tightly. He whimpered and bit his lip, making it bleed. Eventually he sat back up, panting and shaking his head. **

**"Get back to work you dog." Howard said, the boy working instantly. **

**"Yes sir." he whispered, beginning to weld again. Tony worked diligently, and eventually stopped. He put the metal panel over what he was working on and welded it on. **

**Tony was sweating and panting a little, but held up the device to his father. "Here you go sir. The Hark Missile." Tony said, his voice rough. Howard snatched the weapon away and glared at the boy, pointing a finger at the workshop door.**

**Tony nodded and ran to the door, climbing up the stairs. The boy ran into the kitchen, turning on the faucet. He drank the water running from it greedily, and soon turned off the faucet, grabbing some cheese from the fridge. He stuffed it into his mouth and ate it, sighing after he swallowed.**

**Tony licked his lips and walked into the living room, up the stairs, and into his room. He sat on his bed, lying back. Tony stared at the one poster on his ceiling, the color starting to fade, and smiled. **

**"Cap, what would you do? I know the weapons I make are gonna be used to hurt people, but I can't go against father's will. What do I do?" he asked the poster, hope filling his features before leaving them in almost an instant.**

**"Your crazy Tony. Father said so himself. Your no hero, so don't try to be one." he said to himself, turning on his side. The boy sighed, sitting up. He grabbed a sketchpad from out of his desk and flipped through it.**

**He smiled at the old drawings, stopping when he got to one in particular. He glared at the drawing of a robotic suit, mouthing the words 'stupid' as he did. **

**Tony rolled his eyes and tossed the book on the floor, laying down in his bed. He sighed contently, closing his eyes. "I wish I could be a superhero." he said sadly, falling asleep.**

**The image shifted to when Tony was 11, and he was sitting in the garden with Peggy. They watched as the bluebirds chirped and fluttered about. Tony sat in Peggy's lap, smiling at the animals.**

**"They're beautiful aren't they?" Peggy asked, watching the birds.**

**Tony nodded and leaned his head back and took a deep breath. "I love it when you come over." he said, closing his eyes. **

**Peggy smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, humming softly. "Me too. What have you been up to?" she asked.**

**"The usual. Dad has me working on weapons, I got kicked out of another school for trying to teach the class, and my birthday's coming up." he said with a small smile.**

**"Well, then I guess I have to get you a present." Peggy said, standing up. She lifted the boy up and smiled, putting an arm around him.**

**The pair walked into the house and sat at the dining table, talking. **

**Soon Howard walked in, and Peggy told Tony to go upstairs. Tony ran up the wooden stairs, creaking under his weight. Shouts could be heard as he scrambled into his room, shutting the door behind him.**

**Tony sat with his back against the door, flinching each time he heard the crashing of plates below him.**

**He sighed when the noise died down, and a door slammed. **

* * *

><p>The image faded out and left the heroes watching the screen, some shaking their heads, others unable to watch.<p>

"Bastard." Clint said, his hands shaking.

"Its alright. We know he didn't hurt Tony enough to kill him." Bruce said, looking to the archer.

"I wouldn't say that." the voice said, making them jump.

"What do you mean?" Steve asked, wiping away the tears forming in his eyes.

"You'll see."

The Avengers sighed, cause, that meant another memory.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony was 8 years old, lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to wires and tubes, his face pale, bruises and red marks covering his arms and chest.<strong>

**He breathed slowly, his chest moving weakly up and down.**

**The door creaked open, the whispering in the hall dying down. Peggy stepped through, her eyes red. She walked to the boy's bed, taking a seat in the chair beside it.**

**"Hey little man." she said, running her hand through his hair.**

**Tony's head moved slightly, turning towards her. He tried speaking, Peggy putting her finger up to his lips, currently covered by a breathing mask. **

**"Its ok. Don't talk right now." she said with a sad smile.**

**But Tony was persistent, and he slowly moved his hand to move the mask. He licked his dry, bloody lips and smiled slightly.**

**"...I love you..." he said, his voice hoarse from lack of use.**

**Peggy teared up and nodded, moving the mask back into place. "I love you too my little superhero." she told him.**

**A nurse walked in carrying a clipboard, a small smile on her face at the sight of them. **

**"Hello miss Carter. Tony's doing very well today." she said.**

**"How is everything?" she asked, as if it was a routine.**

**"He still has four broken ribs, a punctured lung, and his wrist is broken. He had several bruises around his body, and his feet are cut to pieces. His back has multiple scars on it..." she read, looking to the boy.**

**"He's a brave one." she said sadly, holding the clipboard to her chest.**

**Peggy nodded.**

**"Yea. My little superhero." she said, running her hand through his brown locks.**

**The nurse motioned for Peggy to come to her, and they talked in the corner. **

**"Miss Carter, we...the doctors aren't sure if he's going to make it." she said.**

**Peggy blinked, taking in the information. She shook her head.**

**"No."**

**"Excuse me?" **

**"I said, no. Your'e going to do all you can to save that boy's life. He has endured so much already, and if he's not willing to give up, you shouldn't either." Peggy said, her voice commanding.**

**The nurse swallowed.**

**"Y-yes ma'am." she said, hurrying away and out the door.**

* * *

><p>The image faded, leaving a room of shocked Avengers.<p>

Steve and Clint were in tears, Bruce trying to comfort them, and Thor was blubbering like a big asgardian baby. Even Natasha had tears in her eyes, staring at the place the memory had been.

"That's it. I hate it here." Clint said, sniffling.

"Just let us out already!" Bruce yelled to no one.

The voice laughed.

"We're not done yet."

* * *

><p><strong>It was Christmas time again, and Tony was about 9, sitting by the Christmas tree with Peggy, watching the twinkling lights and sipping coco with her.<strong>

**"The tree's my favorite part of Christmas." tony said, laying his head on Peggy's shoulder.**

**Peggy smiled and hugged the boy, watching the lights fade and come back to life.**

**"Santa comes tonight." Peggy said, making the boy laugh.**

**"Oh yea." he said, looking under the tree.**

**Underneath**** were 3 large boxes, all addressed to him from people he didn't know, such as a man named General Phillips and someone named Brook Fields, and one that didn't have a name.**

**"Can I open one tonight?" he asked, a hopeful gleam in his eyes.**

**Peggy shook her head and smiled.**

**"Then you won't have as many to open tomorrow." she told him.**

**"Oh come on! Please?" he begged, giving her sad, puppy dog eyes.**

**Peggy sighed and smiled, nodding her head. "Alright. Alright. Go ahead." she said with a knowing smirk.**

**Tony tore at the presents, ripping the paper off the boxes as he opened them, his eyes full of excitement. **

**He pulled out a toy robot from the general's gift, a tool set from Mrs. Field's, and a sketchpad from the blank one.**

**The boy smiled at the gifts, looking at them with wonder. His happiness was soon interrupted by a certain drunk man.**

**Soon Howard stumbled in, and Peggy told Tony to go upstairs. Tony ran up the wooden stairs, holding his gifts to his chest, the soft wood creaking under his weight. Shouts could be heard as he scrambled into his room, shutting the door behind him.**

**Tony sat with his back against the door, flinching each time he heard the crashing of plates below him.**

**The boy ran to the window, snow filling the creases. He had tears in his eyes and stared at the sky. "Please. Please if your real please let my father stop being angry with Aunt Peggy, just let him be mad at me. Please." he said, his little hands folded and eyes closed tightly.**

**Tony flinched as a gunshot rang through the house, everything slowing down. **

**He looked to the door in horror and froze, his breathing echoing in his head. "No.." he breathed, tearing himself away from the window, a terrified look on his face. **

**The boy ran to his door, opening it quickly. He ran out into the hall, his breathing heavy and uneven. Tony ran to the top of the stairs, skidding on the floor. His eyes darted around to the room below him.**

**His eyes went wide and his mouth hung open, tears brimming in them. Tony's voice echoed in his mind. **

**"AUNT PEGGY!"**

**Tony shouted, running down the stairs. He ran to his aunt, her lying on the floor, breathing weakly. A deep red spot stained her ruffled white top. Tony kneeled next to her, holding her head in his arms. **

**"Peggy! Please Aunt Peggy!" he begged, tears falling onto her. **

**Peggy coughed, looking to Tony with tears in her eyes.**

**"I'm sorry Tony. Please *cough* please be strong. For me." she said, her chest moving slowly up and down. **

**"No! NO!" Tony yelled, standing up to run in the kitchen, dialing the emergency number.**

**"Hello? What is your emergency?" the lady on the line asked.**

**"Please help me! My aunt Peggy's just been shot. Please come hurry!" he said, looking back to his aunt.**

**"Ok Ok it's alright. Whats your address?" she asked, trying to calm the boy.**

**"2216 Magnolia." **

**"Alright thank you. We'll be there soon." **

**Tony hung up the phone and ran back to Peggy, sitting beside her.**

**"Auntie please hold on. The doctors are coming." he said, moving her hair gently out of her face.**

**Peggy shook her head weakly.**

**"No Tony, i'm too badly hurt. I'm sorry." she said, coughing roughly.**

**Tony shook his head and took her hand.**

**"No no please! Please stay with me!" he pleaded.**

**Peggy smiled and closed her eyes, her grip loosening.**

**"Auntie? Aunt Peggy. AUNT PEGGY!" he yelled, tears streaming down his cheeks.**

**The next few minutes went by as a blur, the emergency workers coming, taking Peggy away, leaving Tony alone. The boy walked to the window, watching as the ambulance slowly drove away, the snowflakes falling silently.**

**"No..." he said, closing his eyes. **

**Tony looked to the Christmas tree, the twinkling lights, and his eyes got caught on a box wrapped in red paper. **

**The boy wiped his eyes and kneeled down, reaching under the tree. He brought the box up to his face, reading the tag.**

**"TO: ❤ ** **Tony ❤ **

**I love you my precious boy!**

**Don't let your dad or anyone else tell you that you can't be a hero!**

**Because you're already mine.**

**Merry Christmas,**

**Love, Aunt Peggy."**

**Tony teared up at the gift, hugging it close to his chest. Howard had long gone into the workshop, and Tony stared at the gift.**

**He sighed and hugged it, carrying it up to his room.**

* * *

><p>The image faded, leaving a room full of tearful heroes.<p>

Steve watched and shook his head, tears streaming down his tears.

"He- She- Peggy..." he mumbled, staring at the wall. The Avengers moved closer to the soldier, trying to comfort him.

"No wonder Tony hates Christmas." Natasha said, a sad look on her face.

"Yea." Steve said, looking to his team. Each of them had been crying, their eyes red and puffy.

"We gotta get outta here." he said.


	5. Chapter 5

The Avengers sat on the polished white ground, thinking.

"Ok well we're somewhere high-tech for them to have access to his memories." Clint said, rubbing his neck.

"No that man said I couldn't hulk out or i'd destroy Tony's brain." Bruce replied, wiping his eyes.

"So we're in Tony's head?" Natasha asked.

Bruce shook his head and looked around.

"Unless Tony's brain is non existent or like Jarvis, i'd say we're in his subconscious."

"Bruce how would we even be in his subconscious?" Natasha asked, looking at the scientist with thought.

"Not sure. I haven't heard any of Tony's thoughts or anything unless its from a memory, so he must be unconscious." he replied, rubbing his chin.

The spy nodded and looked around.

"Alright. How do we get out?" Steve asked.

Bruce shrugged. "Not sure. I'd ask the madman." he said.

The voice laughed.

"Look at you. Acting all grown up and trying to figure everything out. Adorable." he mocked.

Clint rolled his eyes and huffed.

"You think your friend is innocent correct? That his grown-up form is because of his 'broken' past? Correct?"

Nobody moved.

"I thought so. Lets see how you think of him after this." he said, a deep cackle echoing through the room as a new image appeared.

* * *

><p><strong>A dark room showed up, a metal table in the center. Howard walked around the table, breathing heavily. <strong> **He mumbled things with a sour look on his face.**

**The man sighed and grabbed a needle full of a thick black liquid. He flicked it and the mixture swirled from his touch.**

**Howard smiled darkly and set the needle down, walking out of the room.**

**He came back down minutes later with an unconscious 11 year old Tony drooped over his shoulder. Howard set the boy down on the table, wrapping the leather straps around his wrists and ankles.**

**Tony began to stir, making Howard work faster.**

**The boy's eyes opened slowly and he tried to move, only to be restricted by the straps.**

**"What...?" he asked groggily, looking around. A large bruise was beginning to form on his forehead, red marks on his arms.**

**Howard acted quickly, stabbing the needle into his son's arm.**

**Tony screamed in shock, looking at his arm. He began to panic, trying to pull away.**

**The liquid slowly went through his veins, visible under the skin. Tony watched in horror as the liquid travelled upwards towards his head.**

**It went up his sides, into is shoulders, up his neck, and watched his teary eyes as it travelled into the sides of his head.**

**Tony froze, eyes rolling back into his head, and began to shake. He kept shaking for a good while until he suddenly went limp.**

**Howard removed the needle from the boy's arm and began undoing the straps. He untied them one by one, a bored expression on his face.**

**Once he had undone the last strap, Tony began to stir again.**

**This time he had his eyes closed, and sat straight up on the table.**

**Howard took a step back and watched as the boy swung his legs over to the side and hopped down.**

**Tony opened his eyes to reveal two bright crystal blue eyes, glowing like a cat's.**

**He stood straight and firm like a soldier, his face blank.**

**Howard smiled evilly.**

**The image shifted and Tony stood beside his father, eyes still crystal blue and as stiff as ever.**

**Tony held a pistol in his hand, holding it next to a man with a black eye and cuts on his face. The man was tied up to a chair and gagged.**

**"Are you going to give me my money or not?" Howard asked, his voice cold and merciless.**

**The man shivered in his seat, trying to maneuver around the gag.**

**Howard tilted his head at the man and Tony ripped off the gag, allowing the man to speak.**

**"Sir, Mr. Stark I don't- I don't have the money yet sir. If I could have a little more time..." the man said, a pitiful look on his face.**

**Howard rolled his eyes and snapped.**

**Tony stuck the gun up against the man's head, finger on the trigger.**

**"Money. Or he shoots."**

**The man stuttered, completely terrified. "I- I- I-"**

**Howard nodded, and a shot rang out, the man going limp.**

**The madman turned and walked away, leaving Tony holding a pistol and standing next to a bloody corpse.**

**"Come." he said from the darkness.**

**Tony dropped the pistol and marched into the darkness, following his father.**

* * *

><p>The image faded, leaving the room completely silent.<p>

No one dared to say anything. No one had anything to say.

Steve's mouth hung open, shaking his head slightly.

Clint's fists where clenched so tightly his knuckles were white.

Bruce looked green.

Thor blinked, staring at the screen.

Natasha had closed her eyes after hearing the gunshot. A tear streamed down her face.

"ILL KILL HIM!" Clint yelled, trying to charge at the screen.

Natasha and Steve held him back, trying to calm him down.

"It's alright Barton. Calm down." Natasha told him.

"No it's not." Bruce said, standing up.

The scientist looked green, not from rage, but from sickness.

"I know. But we can't do anything about it. Its in the past." she replied.

"Guys Look." Steve said, pointing to the screen.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony was 13 and wearing what looked similar to a SHIELD uniform. He had two pistols strapped to his belt, one on each side, and his eyes were a crystalized blue again.<strong>

**The boy's expression was blank as he pulled out a knife from nowhere, slitting a man's throat when he wouldn't cooperate. He pressed his finger to his earpiece and spoke, then nodded.**

**Tony stood up and a dark smile tugged at his lips, fading as the boy shook his head slightly. **

**He blinked a couple of times and the blue color faded, making the boy sway on his feet. He held his head and fell to the concrete ground, landing with a thud. Tony blinked rapidly before blacking out.**

**When the boy woke up, he was in a dark gray cell, laying on a rough cot. Tony swallowed hard and looked around frightened. His breathing began to increase rapidly, and he looked around with a panicked look on his face.**

**"Where- where am I" he asked, swinging his legs over the cot. He looked around and stood up, walking over to the door. "Steel. 4 inches thick." he mumbled, knocking on the metal.**

**He gasped and jumped back when the door began to open, a young woman stepping through. She was tall with firey red hair and sparkling green eyes. "Hello Tony." she said, a soft smile on her lips.**

**Tony's breathing began to slow, looking at the woman. "H-hello." he replied.**

**"Where am I?" he asked.**

**The woman sighed, clutching her clipboard to her chest. "You are at the Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division." she replied.**

**"Shield?" he asked, giving her a confused look.**

**The woman thought for a moment, then smiled softly. "I never thought about it being an acronym. Sure saves time." she joked, getting a small smile from the boy.**

**"Who are you?" he asked, swallowing.**

**"My name is Georgia. And would you like to come with me on a walk?" she asked, reaching out her hand. Tony looked at it reluctantly, but took it none the less.**

**The pair walked out of the cell and past two large men down the hall. They turned the corner and walked into a large room full of people in business suits. As they passed they got odd looks and heard whispers.**

**Tony sighed and followed Georgia, trying to block out the people around him.**

**Eventually the pair reached a room marked '215' and Georgia turned to Tony. "Alright little man. I'm going to let your- lets just call him your mentor take over from here." she said with a smile.**

**Tony gave her a confused look to which she returned with a smile. "Go on in." she said, nudging him forward. **

**The boy braced himself for anything, feeling like he could be killed at any moment.**

**When Tony opened the door, a medium sized room was revealed with a desk at the back wall, along with Captain America posters adorning the walls. Two filing cabinets were sitting against the left wall and leather couch against the right.**

**There was a crash and Tony flinched as a small voice grumbled.**

**"Hello?" Tony called out, receiving a loud thud and movement from under the desk in reply.**

**"What? Whats happening?" a kid said as he poked his head out form under the desk, revealing a brunette boy, about 12 or 13 years old with combed over styled hair and a miniature suit on.**

**"Uh Hello! the bathroom is down the hall." he said, a sad look on his face. **

**Tony arched an eyebrow, shaking his head slightly.**

**"What do you mean? A lady named Georgia told me to come meet my 'mentor'? Who's that?" he asked, looking around, smiling slightly at the soldier's posters.**

**"WHAT!? SHE DID!?" the boy asked happily, a huge smile on his face. He climbed out from under the desk and walked towards Tony, holding out his hand.**

**"The name's Phil." he said, shaking Tony's hand.**

* * *

><p>The heroes stared at the screen, mouths hanging open.<p>

"Is that-"

"Yes."

"Holy shit."

"Yea."

"I don't understand."

"Of course not Thor."

"That's him alright. I'd know that posture anywhere." Clint said, staring at the screen with a smile on his face.

He and Natasha passed knowing glances.

"Coulson." they said in sinc.

"That is Son of Coul? I cannot believe he knew young Anthony." Thor boomed, smiling.

"We didn't either." Natasha said, her gaze shifting back to the screen.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony smiled and shook the boy's hand, looking around. "I like your Captain America posters by the way." he told him, looking at the walls.<strong>

**Phil blushed and looked at his shoes, shying away from Tony. **

**"Oh. Those. Yea I love Captain America. He's my idol." he replied, looking at the posters fondly.**

**"He was mine too." Tony said, a frown replacing his smile.**

**"So you joining the organization?" Phil asked, getting back on topic.**

**Tony bit his lip. "Not sure. I don't even know why i'm here or how I got here." he replied.**

**"Oh. Well lets go talk to uncle Fury and see." the boy said cheerfully, running to the door.**

**Tony followed close behind as they walked out the door and made their way down the long hallways, Phil walking like he was on auto-pilot. **

**Soon the boys came to two large wooden doors with a silver name-tag hanging on them.**

**"COLONEL FURY" it read.**

**"Now be very quiet. Uncle Fury doesn't like loud noises, they distract him." Phil warned, opening one of the doors with a creak.**

**The boys made their way onto the navy blue carpet and through the office, coming up to a large wooden desk.**

**"Uncle Fury?" Phil asked, poking his head up above it, having to tip toe to reach.**

**A large man with jet black hair and dark skin sat lazily in the spinning chair, his eyes shut and a loud snoring escaping his mouth.**

**"Don't pretend to sleep. You don't snore when you sleep!" Phil said with a giggle, running around the desk.**

**The boy hopped into the man's lap, causing him to immediately open his eyes and laugh.**

**(Yes. Fury actually laughed.)**

**"Hey kiddo." Fury said, a smile on his face.**

**"Hi uncle Fury."** **Phil replied, hopping down. He walked over to Tony and grabbed his hand, pulling him to the colonel.**

**"This is-" Phil paused, his cheeks turning pink. "Uhh...I never got your name." he said sheepishly, causing Tony to laugh. **

**"It's ok. The name's Tony. Tony Stark." he replied, smiling slightly.**

**Fury nodded and looked at the boy with a serious face. "Your father's Howard right?" he asked.**

**Tony nodded.**

**"Alright. Phil show Tony to his room. We don't want him to stay in a cell now do we?" he said happily, handing the boy a large key.**

**Phil nodded and motioned for Tony to follow him. The boys ran out of the room and down the hall, Tony starting to get tired.**

* * *

><p>"That-"<p>

"FURY!?" Clint said, his face red with laughter.

"This makes no sense." Bruce said, rubbing his chin.

"What?" Steve asked, looking at the doctor.

"I mean, Tony told me he only met Fury a few years back. And Phil even earlier. Why would he lie about that?" he asked, watching as the boys ran down the halls.

"They could be repressed memories." Natasha answered. "Maybe Tony's subconscious doesn't want him to remember this stuff." she said, cracking her knuckles.

Bruce nodded.

"Makes sense. I wouldn't want to remember any of this stuff either." Steve said, holding his hands.

"But this is not a bad memory. It is joyous! Why would Anthony not want to remember the time he had met the son of Coul?" Thor asked, getting surprised glances from his team.

"Something tells me we're gonna find out." Clint said, pointing to the screen.


	6. Chapter 6

**Tony and Phil ran down the halls, giggling like- well, kids. They soon reached a door at the end of the hall, the boys panting and gasping for air from their run. They smiled at each other as Phil slid the key Fury had given him into the lock. He turned the item and an audible click was heard, and Phil gently pushed open the door.**

**Behind the door was a large room with light blue walls and a grey carpet covering the floor. At the back wall was a large bed with red covers on it. To the left was a desk, on top of that a lamp, sketchpad, and cup of pencils. Also on the left were two large red, white, and blue beanbag chairs. To the right was a small speaker on the wall, along with a S.H.I.E.L.D. logo adorning the wall. **

**Tony smiled as he stepped inside, looking around. "This is awesome!" he said happily, looking around. He noticed in the corner sat a large circular object, hidden slightly in the darkness. "Wha-" Tony was cut off by Phil walking over to the desk and calling for him.**

**"Tony! Come look!" he said, causing the boy to forget about the object in the corner. He ran to Coulson, who had a sketchpad in hand. "Georgia told me you liked to draw so i made sure they put these in your room, just in case you decided to stay." he explained, setting the notebook back on the wooden desk. **

**Tony ran his hand over the large desk, taking in the smell of the wood. He smiled and turned to Phil. "It's nice. Thanks." he said, walking over to the bed. "So this place is all mine?" he asked, looking to the ceiling, which was littered with glow-in-the-dark sticky stars. **

**Phil nodded, smiling at Tony. "uh-huh." he replied, sitting beside him. **

**"So...What do you people do here exactly?" Tony asked, swinging his legs back and forth over the edge of the bed. **

**"Oh, um...Well it's actually pretty cool." Phil replied, standing up. "Here i'll show ya!" he said happily, pulling out a card from his pants pocket. "This is a S.H.I.E.L.D. ID card. it can get you anywhere in the base, well, depending on your rank that is." he explained, handing the card to Tony.**

**Tony turned the card over in his hands, reading the information.**

**"NAME: Phillip Coulson**

**AGE: 13 **

**SEX: MALE**

**LEVEL: 3"**

**Tony turned the card over some more, thinking he may have missed something. Other than the boy's picture and a large SHIELD printed at the top, he wasn't quite sure what made the card so special.**

**Tony handed the card back to Phil, who happily shoved it back into his pocket.**

**"I think if you'll be staying with us, you might want to get one done yourself." Coulson told him, walking to the door. "Come on, i'll show you where the photo room is." The boys walked out the door and down a set of hallways, Tony thinking to himself.**

_**"So This place is some kind of organization...I wonder what they do here?" **_**he thought.**

**Soon, the pair reached a wooden door with a brass plate above it reading 'DARK ROOM'. The boys knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. After a few minutes, a tall man with a thin frame and white hair opened the door, a smile on his face. His eyes were old and a jade green, his skin wrinkled with age.**

**"Oh Hello Phil! Who's your friend here?" the man asked, his voice rough as he ruffled Tony's hair. This gave him flashes of Peggy, and he flinched from the touch. "Ya alright there son?" the man asked, straightening his glasses.**

**Tony snapped out of it and nodded, putting on a fake smile. "Oh...yea- I mean yes Sir." he said, fiddling with his shirt. "Uh- Coulson told me that if I was going to be staying here a while I would need an ID card." he explained, looking up at the man.**

**The old man smiled and waved the boys in, talking about how the pictures were made, what ink was supposed to be used, how long it took fro the cards to be made, etc. Tony looked around the room and saw pictures hung on the walls, ranging from wedding pictures to mugshots. **

**"Mr. Dyson takes all kinds of photos." Coulson whispered, elbowing Tony lightly as they made their way to the back of the room. **

**Tony sat down on a bench in the back as Mr. Dyson set up his camera. "Alright kiddo. Big smile!" the man said, looking through the camera. Tony smiled half-heartedly, making Mr. Dyson poke his head out from under the black covering. "Ya alright there?" he asked.**

**Tony nodded, looking to the floor. The old man rubbed his chin, watching the boy sit there, saddened. "I've got just the thing." he said, walking over to a chest. He opened the large chest and began digging through it, tossing random objects such as dolls and toys behind him. He finally found what he had been looking for, judging from the sound he made. "Here we are." he said, tossing Tony a pair of shades, along with a toy Captain America shield.**

**Tony stared at the shield and glasses. "What are these for?" he asked, smiling a little.**

**The old man smiled, ducking under the cover for his camera. "Just put em on alright?" he said, smiling to himself.**

**Tony shrugged, putting on the glasses. He smiled and looked around, instantly feeling cooler. He grabbed the shield and posed, smiling like a kid. "This is actually really fun." he said as a flash of light went off, catching him by surprise.**

**"Got it!" Mr. Dyson said, taking off the cover and smiling to the boys. "Perfect. Nice smile Tony." he said, smiling at the boys. **

**Tony blushed and unhooked the leather strap from the shield from his arm, handing it back to the man. "Thank you sir." he said, placing the shield in his hands.**

**Mr. Dyson smiled and pushed the shield away, setting the sunglasses on top of Tony's head. "No problem. And keep em. Never know, you might just need em." he said as the boys thanked him, Tony clutching the shield tightly to his chest. "The card should be ready by tomorrow! Bye boys!" the man called as the boys walked down the hall back to Tony's room.**

* * *

><p>"I fail to see how this is a bad memory." Thor said, crossing his arms over his chest.<p>

"Yea, but if Tony didn't want to remember it, it must be bad in some aspect." Natasha replied, staring at the fading image of the boys.

Steve rung his wrists, trying to think. There had to be something. Something he was missing. Something, staring him straight in the face.

The soldiers thoughts were stolen from him as Clint yelled something about a new memory.

"Guys, Tony looks...different." the archer said, pointing to the screen where a young man, about the age of 15 stood, in a formal tuxedo with his hair slicked back. Beside him stood Howard, looking indifferent about his son being accepted into MIT, and on his other side stood Coulson, about 14 by the looks of it and very happy for his friend.

There was a camera flash, and everything sprang to life.

* * *

><p><strong>Tony blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes so he could see. He turned to Coulson and smiled, giving him a hug. "Ill see you in a couple of months. Thanksgiving alright?" Tony whispered, pulling away from the teen.<strong>

**Coulson smiled and nodded, straightening his black blazer, a small SHIELD logo on near the shoulder. "See you then Tones." he replied, his voice slightly deeper than in the previous memory.**

**Howard watched as his son walked over to him, letter in hand, and as he picked up his luggage. "I want you to have straight A's. You hear? STRAIGHT A's." he said into the teen's ear, making him flinch.**

**Tony nodded and grabbed his luggage, hauling it over to a taxi. Once he had put it inside the trunk, he closed it and turned back to the people who had been there to see him off. His father, Coulson, Nick Fury, some SHIELD agents he had made friends with over the year- Tony looked around for a certain face, one he knew he probably would never see again but hoped he would, but to no avail. **

**The taxi cab driver honked, shaking Tony from his thoughts. "Ya comin' kid or not?" the man asked, his Boston accent thick.**

**Tony nodded, and with one last wave, he got in the cab. He rolled down the window to say good-byes and farewells as he drove down the street, slightly nervous but really excited about going to college.**

**The scene shifted, changing to a slightly older Tony, about 17 years old, with welding goggles and gloves on. Sparks flew from the welder as he guided the tool across the metal, sealing the steel together.**

**Tony shut off the flame and lifted his goggles, taking off his gloves and setting the torch on a desk. "Done." he said, scratching the stubble on his chin. "Hey Rhodey?" he called out, taking some tongs and shoving the metal into a barrel of water. The metal hissed and steam erupted from the barrel. **

**"What is it Tony?" a familiar voice called out, although slightly higher-pitched than normal. **

**A young man with dark skin wearing blue jeans and a grey shirt walked out of the bathroom, drying his hands on a towel. He had dark brown eyes, looked about the age of 21, and had a cheerful smile on his face. "And I told you not to call me that." he said, tossing the towel into a laundry basket.**

**Tony lifted the metal out of the water and set it on the desk. He took a step back and smiled, gesturing to the metal. "This." he said proudly.**

**Rhodes looked at it for a moment before picking it up and turning it in his hands. "Tones, what is this thing?" he asked, sticking his finger through one of the holes.**

**Tony smiled and grabbed the metal, turning it upside down and holding it to his face. It looked like a mask, only covering his eyes, forehead and cheeks. "Its a mask dumb ass." The teen joked, tossing the metal back onto the desk. **

**Rhodey rolled his eyes and smiled, patting Tony on his back. "Now why would you need that?" he asked.**

**Tony set the mask down. "Cause it's going to be something amazing someday. Just you wait Rhodes. When its done, your'e gonna want one just like it." Tony boasted.**

**"Alright alright, lets take a break and go grab some lunch. Waddya say?" Rhodey asked, opening their dorm door. **

**Tony waved dismissively and stared at his blueprints some more. "No, i'm gonna keep working on this." he said, writing on the blueprint. **

**Rhodey frowned, crossing his arms. "Tones, you gotta take a break every once in a while you know?" he said, walking to the teen. "Come on. You can work when we get back." he said, tugging at him. **

**Tony pulled away. "No It's ok. I gotta get this finished before the year's over. Dad'll be back from his trip soon." he said with a frown.**

**"Why does that matter Tony?" Rhodey asked, letting him go. **

**Tony smiled. "The Stark Expo. My dad hosts it every year and I'm gonna show-"**

**his words were cut off by hie vibrating phone. Tony picked up the phone and answered it. "hello?" he asked, holding the phone close to his ear. The genius's eyes went wide, staring straight ahead as he heard the lady on the line speak. **

**"No..." he said quietly, his mouth hanging open.**

**"No. No no no no no...He- he can't be-" he said, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. **

**Tony suddenly dropped the phone, falling to the floor as he blacked out.**

**The last thing he heard was a feint "TONY!" as his head his the floor.**

* * *

><p>"What the hell just happened?!" Clint yelled, jumping up from his spot.<p>

Steve swallowed the lump in his throat as he stared ahead, wondering what could have happened to make Tony faint.

Bruce had his hand over his mouth, his eyes tearful.

"Bruce do you know what happened?" Natasha asked, although she had a feeling she knew already.

Bruce shook his head furiously, but Natasha could tell he was hiding something.

"Tony..." Steve said quietly.

* * *

><p><strong>The image was blurred, clearing to show 5 people standing around two graves. Rain poured from the sky, the people standing under umbrellas with the exception of one.<strong>

**Tony stared at the tombstones, unable to speak. His eyes gazed at the words, reading them for the hundredth time. **

**"HOWARD STARK**

**Loving Husband, Father, Genius**

**1917-1991**

**R.I.P."**

**He blinked owlishly, staring at his father's grave. He could hear his father's voice echoing inside his head. **

**"Starks don't cry..." it said, as tears welled up in his eyes. **

**He blinked them away, taking a deep breath. It's not that Howard had died so suddenly, it that he had died without knowing what Tony could really do.**

**The teen felt a hand on his shoulder and looked to see Nick Fury, holding an odd device. "Stark. I'm gonna have to ask you a question." he said, jabbing the device into Tony's neck. A shock was sent through his body, making him black out. The last thing he saw was Coulson, tears streaming down his face.**

**When he woke up, Tony was in his dorm room, not sure of what had happened. Last thing he remembered, he had been at a funeral...**

**Tony's head pounded, making him groan in agony. "Oh shit what is that?!" he said, clutching his temples. **

**Rhodey walked in with a slip of paper in his hands, reading it silently. He looked up to see Tony awake and quickly stashed the note in his pocket. "Hey Tones." he said, smiling at him. "You alright?" he asked, sitting on the bed next to his friend.**

**"yea...My head is killing me. What happened at the funeral? I- I don't remember much..." he said with a frown.**

**"Oh uh, it was small, a couple of friends and Jarvis came, i was there, along with Co-" Rhodes shut himself up, remembering the note Fury had given him.**

**Tony gave him a confused look, but shrugged it off. "So who else was there? I remember some men but their faces are a little hazy." he said, lying back on his bed.**

**"Oh uh, just some uh, staff. Yea they were some of Howard's staff." he said, trying to cover his tracks. Fury had given him a note telling him about how he had erased Tony's memory of SHIELD and how he couldn't let him remember anything or else it wouldn't work.**

**"So uh, you should get some rest." he said, standing up and turning off the light. **

**"Alright fine." Tony said, stiffling a yawn as he pulled his covers over him. "G'night Rhodey." he said smugly.**

**"Don't call me that." Rhodey replied.**

**The lights went out and Tony stared at his ceiling as Rhodey walked out of their room, going to work on homework. He sighed, folding his hands behind his head. Tony felt a sharp pain in his head as a person in a suit flashed across his mind. **

**"Wha..." Tony said, holding his head. "Whatever." he said, closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep.**

* * *

><p>Steve sighed, watching his friend fall asleep. "So what happened to him?" he asked, looking to the agents.<p>

Natasha bit her lip. "Looks like Fury erased his memory of SHIELD. No clue why though." she told him, leaning on the armrest of the couch.

Clint nodded in agreement. "Looks like Rhodes knows about it too." he added.

"Our little journey is nearly complete heroes." the voice said, echoing through the chamber.

The Avengers breathed a sigh of relief, ready to get out of that room.

"But first..." the voice said, putting the heroes on edge. "Let's have a little fun. Why don't we skip ahead..." he said as a new image appeared.

The heroes braced themselves for what was to come.


End file.
